Bulldog Weekly Report (Dec. 6)

By Jacob Knabel on Dec. 6, 2016 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Female: Mary Janovich, Basketball

Janovich, a native of Gretna, Neb., helped spur No. 7 Concordia to two wins last week, including an 85-82 victory over No. 1 Dakota Wesleyan. Named GPAC player of the week on Tuesday (Dec. 6), Janovich averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals over last week’s action. She garnered second team All-GPAC honors as a sophomore last season.

Male: Seth Curran, Basketball

Curran, who hails from Omaha, enjoyed the best statistical week of his career while leading the Bulldogs to wins over Haskell Indian Nations University and No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan. In the upset of the Tigers, Curran recorded career highs of 20 points and 11 assists. The senior product of Omaha Burke High School is averaging 9.4 points in his first season as a starter.

Grove qualifies for outdoor national championships: Sophomore Taylor Grove has already locked up a spot in the 2017 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships thanks to an automatic qualifying time of 1:29:28 at the Warrior Half Marathon hosted by Midland on Dec. 3. Averaging a 6:50 mile, Grove came in just under the automatic standard of an hour-and-a-half. The Concordia women are the defending NAIA outdoor national champions.

Wrapping up the 2016 football season and the Coach Winter era: The 2016 Concordia football team finished 7-3 and garnered a No. 18 national ranking in the final regular-season national coaches’ poll. It was a fitting end to the eight-year tenure of head coach Vance Winter, who announced on Oct. 31 that he would be resigning at the conclusion of the season. For more on the 2016 football season, click HERE.

Women’s soccer wins GPAC title in exhilarating 2016 campaign: 2016 was another stellar season for head coach Greg Henson’s program, which equaled a program record for most wins in a season and won the GPAC tournament title for the second time in three years. The Bulldogs rose to great heights behind first team All-GPAC performers Sami Birmingham and Maria Deeter. For our women’s soccer season wrap, click HERE.

Scholar-Athlete total climbs to 21 for fall of 2016: Seventeen additional Bulldogs were named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes last week, bringing the 2016 fall total to 21. That figure includes honorees for the sports of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball. Football Scholar-Athletes will be announced on Friday, Dec. 16.

Track and field hosts annual Blue-White Intrasquad on Friday: The annual Blue-White Intrasquad will take place inside the Fieldhouse beginning at 4 p.m. CT on Friday. The Concordia University track and field programs, winners of two national titles over the past two years, are under the direction of a new head coach in Matt Beisel, who just completed his first season as Bulldog cross country head coach.

Sievert throws crutches aside, shows championship mettle: Emily Sievert essentially took four weeks off from running during the most crucial point of the cross country season and yet she managed to claim all-conference honors and a second-straight berth in the national championships. How did she do it? Find out HERE.

How to purchase Cultivating Men of Faith and Character: The book, Cultivating Men of Faith and Character: The History of Concordia Nebraska Football, remains available for purchase online HERE. For more than 90 years, the Concordia football program has cultivated men of faith and character. This journey through the program’s entire history takes a narrative, coach-by-coach approach in bringing back to life the memorable plays, players and moments in Bulldog football history. Win or lose, Christian character has guided a storied football tradition in Seward, home to the “college in the cornfield.”

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 6 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is in its second year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the TuneIn Radio app and searching “Max Country.” Throughout the 2016-17 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Men’s Basketball

  • Two more contests inside Walz Arena brought two more victories for the Bulldogs, who have been unbeatable at home so far this season. In last week’s action, Concordia cruised to a 104-72 blowout win over Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.) on Dec. 1 prior to upsetting 10th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan, 95-79, on Dec. 3. The perfect week pushed fourth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad to 7-4 overall and to 2-3 in conference play. For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • While Concordia held Dakota Wesleyan to nearly 20 points below its season average, offensive firepower has defined the 2016-17 Bulldogs through their first 11 games. They have been particularly potent at home, where they are 6-0. In those six games, Concordia has averaged 95.8 points per game shooting 55.5 percent (192-for-346) from the floor and 43.4 percent (63-for-145) from 3-point range. Eli Ziegler has gotten especially cozy at Walz, where he has made 22-of-44 shots from beyond the arc. Chandler Folkerts has also been near automatic, boasting a shooting percentage of 75.0 (39-for-52) in home games.
  • Concordia opened up the win over Haskell by netting each of its first six attempts from 3-point range and finished with 16 treys. It was the start of red hot week for the Bulldogs, who shot 58.2 percent (39-for-67) versus Haskell and 62.5 percent (30-for-48) versus Dakota Wesleyan. Concordia now ranks second among all NAIA Division II teams in terms of field goal percentage (.526). Nationally, it also ranks fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.429) and 11th in free throw percentage (.767).
  • In his first season as a starter, senior guard Seth Curran put together the best week of his career last week. He totaled 13 points (3-for-5 3-point shooting), three rebounds and two assists in the win over Haskell. He took it to another level against Dakota Wesleyan, setting new career highs with 20 points and 11 assists in 38 minutes of action. Curran boosted his season scoring average to 9.4. Like his teammates, he’s efficient. He’s shooting 50.9 percent from the floor, 45.7 percent from 3-point range and 84.6 percent from the foul line.
  • Folkerts continues to rise up the program’s all-time lists. On Saturday he moved up one more rung on the scoring list, passing Matt List (1,608 points) for sixth place. With 1,609 points, Folkerts has fourth-place Devin Smith (1,659) and fifth-place Rick Dietze (1,625) well within his sights. Folkerts has also moved up to seventh all-time in rebounding with 699. One more rebound will make Folkerts just the fourth player in school history to total at least 1,500 points and 700 rebounds. In addition, Folkerts ranks fourth in Bulldog history with 117 blocked shots.
  • The early season schedule has provided several résumé building opportunities. Though Concordia suffered an 89-87 loss at Northwestern, now ranked sixth with an overall record of 12-1, it rebounded in its very next game with a 91-77 victory over then 17th-ranked York College. The Bulldogs now have two victories over top 20 teams. Prior to last week, Concordia had not defeated a top-10 opponent since its 86-70 win at Northwood University (now Keiser University) on Dec. 29, 2014.
  • Concordia possesses a player that ranks in the top 10 nationally in each major shooting percentage category. Among all NAIA Division II players, sophomore Chris Johnstone ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.935), Folkerts ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.673) and freshman Tanner Shuck ranks eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.538).
  • Despite the loss of the program’s all-time leading shot blocker Robby Thomas, the Bulldogs currently rank 14th nationally in blocks per game (4.0). Concordia hit that average exactly last week, totaling eight rejections over the two wins. Folkerts paces the team with 18 blocks. Next in line are junior Kyle Pierce (nine) and freshman Clay Reimers (eight). A product of Lincoln East High School, Reimers posted career bests of 13 points and eight rebounds versus Haskell.
  • It will be another challenging week in the GPAC with two more top-25 opponents up next. On Wednesday, Concordia will head to Sioux City, Iowa, for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff at No. 23 Morningside (8-3, 2-2 GPAC). A rematch with sixth-ranked Northwestern (12-1, 5-0 GPAC) is set to take place Saturday at 4 p.m. CT inside Walz Arena. The Red Raiders are the only team still unbeaten in GPAC play.

Women’s Basketball

  • Twelve games in, the seventh-ranked Bulldogs have made it clear that they have the ingredients for a potentially special season. After thumping College of Saint Mary, 95-56, on Nov. 30, Concordia remained unbeaten in conference play by toppling No. 1 Dakota Wesleyan, 85-82, in a classic game played inside Walz Arena on Dec. 3. Currently sitting atop the conference, eleventh-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad sits at 11-1 overall and 6-0 in GPAC action. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs have already played two games this season against squads ranked No. 1. In the season opener, Concordia fell at the hands of then top-ranked Marian University (Ind.), 72-64, in a matchup with the defending NAIA Division II national champion. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs’ previous four games against No. 1 teams all involved contests with Morningside. Concordia defeated the No. 1 Mustangs, 80-72, in the 2015 GPAC tournament title game.
  • Though she’s often the fifth scoring option on the team, selfless senior point guard Shelby Quinn shined in the team’s win over Dakota Wesleyan. She helped the Bulldogs overcome a late 82-79 deficit by recording the game’s final six points – all from the free throw line. Quinn notched a team and career high 20 points. She also dished out six more assists and committed only two turnovers in 35 minutes of action. The Bellevue, Neb., native ranks 10th nationally in assists per game (4.8).
  • Reliable junior guard Mary Janovich topped Concordia with 35 points as part of another do-it-all series of performances. The Gretna High School product also averaged 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals over last week’s pair of wins. Janovich serves as one of the catalysts for the team’s pressure defense that has forced an average of 27.8 turnovers per game.
  • Last week Concordia moved up seven spots in the national poll with the release of the first top 25 rankings of the 2016-17 regular season. The announcement marked the 68th-straight poll appearance for the Bulldogs, who are back in the top 10 for the first time since early December of last year. Concordia garnered a No. 19 national ranking the 2015-16 postseason poll. The Bulldogs have been included in every top 25 ranking since the beginning of the 2011-12 season.
  • Concordia found a way to beat Dakota Wesleyan despite a season low shooting percentage of 36.2. The Bulldogs struggled mightily from beyond the arc, where they went 9-for-35 (.257). They were able to make up for it in part by going 26-for-31 (.839) from the free throw line. Despite the low shooting percentages versus the Tigers, Concordia sports lofty national rankings of fifth in scoring offense (86.0), seventh in 3-point field goals per game (9.8), seventh in free throw percentage (.770) and 16th in field goal percentage (.444).
  • Concordia’s win over Dakota Wesleyan means that only three undefeated teams remain in NAIA Division II: No. 3 St. Francis (Ill.) (8-0), No. 3 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (8-0) and No. 20 Southeastern (Fla.) (9-0). The Bulldogs and Tigers are two of eight teams with just a single loss. That group includes Concordia-Ann Arbor, which is coached by Bulldog alum Thad Sankey, a former assistant coach under Olson. Marian also appears among the one-loss squads.
  • Concordia also had to overcome foul trouble for Janovich and Philly Lammers to defeat Dakota Wesleyan. Lammers played only 10 minutes and ended up fouling out. She still managed to put up nine points and four rebounds. Janovich played 25 minutes and totaled 19 points, five assists and three steals. In this instance, the starters were counted on for the lion’s share of the production. The starting five put up 70 of the team’s 85 points.
  • Two perennial GPAC powers make up this week’s schedule. On Wednesday, Concordia will trek to Sioux City, Iowa, for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff at No. 9 Morningside (7-3, 2-2 GPAC), the defending GPAC regular-season and tournament champion. For the second time in just over a month, the Bulldogs will take on Northwestern (9-3, 3-3 GPAC) when the Red Raiders visit Walz Arena for Saturday’s 2 p.m. CT game. Concordia has won eight-straight home games and owns a home record of 75-9 since the start of the 2011-12 season.

Wrestling

  • First-year head coach Andrew Nicola’s program went 12-straight days without a competition before returning to action last week with a 23-22 victory at Doane on Dec. 2. The following day, 14 Bulldogs combined for a total of 19 wins while competing at the Buena Vista University Open in Storm Lake, Iowa. Four Bulldogs claimed tournament place finishes. To date, Concordia has participated and four opens and owns dual victories over Dakota Wesleyan and Doane. For more information on the Bulldog wrestling program, click HERE.
  • After a Doane pin in the heavyweight bout, the outcome of last week’s dual had to be decided based on criteria, which favored Concordia. The Bulldogs narrowly escaped Crete with their 16th-straight win in conference duals. Favored to win the GPAC dual championship for the third-straight year, Concordia has gone more than 1,000 days since it was last defeated by a GPAC opponent. The most recent loss to a GPAC opponent occurred on Feb. 13, 2014, when the Bulldogs dropped a 21-12 decision at Hastings.
  • Ranked second at 197 pounds, senior Ken Burkhardt Jr. did his part at Doane. The Milford, Neb., native pinned 12th-ranked Chandler Knight in 3:47. That performance was critical in a match that featured a 16-16 team score tie before Burkhardt Jr. made his way onto the mat. A two-time All-American, Burkhardt Jr. now stands just three wins away from becoming the first wrestler in program history to reach 100 career victories.
  • Concordia and Doane both won five individual matches in the dual. In addition to Burkhardt Jr.’s win at 197, other Bulldog victories were claimed by Dmitri Smith (125), Kodie Cole (133), Foster Bunce (149) and Josh Nelsen (184). Cole picked up his fourth pin of the season, Bunce won by major decision and both Nelson and Smith earned victories by decision.
  • Four Bulldogs turned in place finishes at the BVU Open: freshman Nate Bennett (first in 165 ‘B’), Kolton Larsen (second in 157 ‘B’), sophomore Tristain Sichmeller (third in 174 ‘B’) and sophomore Demitrius Miller (fourth in 184 ‘A’). Bennett went a perfect 4-0 on the day, capping it with a 12-6 decision over Briar Cliff’s Chris Paulsen in the championship bout. Larsen also rattled off four wins before falling in the 157-pound title match while up against Augustana College’s Jackson Sweeney.
  • Fifteen Bulldogs have piled up at least five wins this season (see list below). Concordia is topped by the 11 from Burkhardt Jr. Francisco (9-0) boasts the team’s top winning percentage and remains the lone undefeated Bulldog. Burkhardt Jr. has placed at all three tournaments that he has competed in. He took first at the Grand View Open, fourth at the Dakota Wesleyan Open and sixth at the UNK Open. Francisco (two), Burkhardt Jr. (one) and Bennett (one) have each won at least one tournament title.
    • Ken Burkhardt Jr. (197): 11-5
    • Alexander Reimers (197): 10-6
    • Ceron Francisco (285): 9-0
    • Darrin Miller (174): 9-8
    • Kolton Larsen (157): 8-5
    • Nate Bennett (157/165): 7-4
    • Gabe Crawford (157): 7-4
    • Kodie Cole (133): 7-3
    • Anthony Zepeda (157/165): 7-6
    • Kyle Carey (133): 7-8
    • Deandre Chery (174): 7-8
    • Foster Bunce (149): 6-1
    • Dmitri Smith (125): 5-4
    • Walker Fisher (174): 5-5
    • Tristain Sichmeller (174): 5-5
  • The Bulldogs look forward to a similar schedule this week. They will make their home debut on Friday when Northwest Kansas Tech visits Walz Arena for a 7 p.m. CT dual. The Mavericks are a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Then on Saturday, Concordia will be at the Doane University Open. Action from Crete is set to get started at 9 a.m. CT.